You Don't Scare Me

Fear Factor

Psalm 56:11 NASB95

In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalm 118:6 NASB95

The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?

(The Fear of Man)

Intro: In spite of what they say, 90% of the chronic patients who see today’s physicians have one common symptom. Their trouble did not start with cough or chest pain or hyperacidity. In 90% of the cases, the first symptom was fear. This is the opinion of a well-known American internist as expressed in a roundtable discussion on psychosomatic medicine. This is also the consensus of a growing body of specialists. Fear of losing a job, of old age, of being exposed—sooner or later this fear manifests itself as “a clinical symptom.” Sometimes the fear is nothing more than a superficial anxiety; sometimes it is so deep-seated that the patient himself denies its existence and makes the round of doctor to doctor, taking injections, hormones, tranquilizers and tonics in an endless search for relief.

How do we understand and interpret this? Last week I told you that fear is a God-given sense of danger.Fear is not unreasonable where danger is true and imminent.

Fear is unreasonable, stifling, and debilitating when danger is only a perception and not a reality. This is where phobias are seen.

Fear here in 2 Timothy is δειλια in the original and is the only place this word occurs in the NT.

Unlike φοβεω (φοβος N.) we discussed last week, this word means to be a coward, timid, or reticent. It’s always used in a bad sense (it’s used 8 times in the LXX).

Louw/Nida - a state of fear because of a lack of courage or moral strength—‘cowardice, timidity.’

Courage is not the absence of fear, but action in the face of fear; cowardice is the polar opposite of that—it’s inaction due to fear.

Fear is quite naturally the logical consequence of sin. Fear has a tendency to either immobilize men or seriously affect their activity.

gives us the sad details of God’s rejection of Saul as king b/c of his disobedience regarding the Amalekites.

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

Historical Context

It is unclear why Paul said this to Timothy. It is not unreasonable to assume that Timothy was struggling w/ being timid, however.

Webster’s says timidity is lacking in courage or self-confidence 2: lacking in boldness or determination.

No self

With this in mind, we can see that there wasn’t so much of a danger for Timothy, but rather a wrong perception of circumstances and failure to recognize what God had given him.

Many people today never reach their God-given potential b/c of fear of inability, or of what others think.

Many won’t get involved in church activities or leadership b/c of fear of inability, for fear of what others might think.

Timothy could have been struggling b/c of his youth, b/c of the trials of ministry, or b/c of resistance to the gospel.

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

No matter what it was we must not be hard on Timothy because everyone faces timidity.

Message

Paul seeks to encourage young Timothy by reminding him of the faith that he has and which dwelt in both his mother and grandmother.

He then reminds him of the gift that God has placed w/in him through the laying of Paul’s hands.

We need not fear or worry about what God calls and equips us to do, b/c He gives us what we need to fulfill our mission.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear” (or timidity).

Spirit here does not refer to the Holy Spirit.

There is no definite article.

Spirit here refers to attitude or more accurately inclination.

Of the 180 times πνευμα appears in the NT, 12 of those times it is used in the sense of an inclination.

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Paul’s reference to the “spirit” is not of the Holy Spirit but of those traits to which He is the author.

Timidity is a perversion of what God put in man in the beginning.

With the renewal and the giving of the Holy Spirit, comes a new attitude, a new inclination of the mind and whole being of man.

He has given us a spirit of Power

δυναμις used here not in the sense of working miracles, even though it can be used in that sense; here Paul uses δυναμις in the sense of ability to overcome obstacles.

There will always be obstacles in life and especially in doing what God has called us to do—even walking in obedience to Him and His commands.Power here is courage to act in the face of opposition.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus was talking about the power or ability to be.

We very quickly see the result of this in the next chapter when Peter stands in front of those who had Jesus put to death and tells them of their error.

He has given us a spirit of Love

αγαπη is that God kind of love.It is that love that puts others ahead of oneself.

Love that says “I won’t let you intimidate me from telling you the truth.”

Remember what we read last week from

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

While this is referring to our fear of God, it also points to the fact that where αγαπη love is present, we won’t fear, even in telling someone something difficult.

“Sound Mind” -

He has given us a Sound Mind.

Sound Mind

σωφρονισμος to behave in a sensible manner, with the implication of thoughtful awareness of what is best—‘moderation, sensibility.

Haven’t you ever noticed how irrational fear can be?

It is an attitude of the mind that produces reasonable and rationale thoughts based on God’s truth as revealed in His word.

Remember what I said earlier, that fear is unreasonable when danger is perceived?

Haven’t you ever noticed that when you get saved and the more you seek God and walk in the power of His Spirit, the more you begin to think differently?